Prime Minister Nawaf Salam at the Lebanese-Syrian border on May 8, 2025. Grand Serail Photo
BEIRUT — Lebanese ministers and MPs on Wednesday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s surprise announcement that he would lift sanctions on Syria, a move they said could ease regional trade and help pave the way for the return of Syrian refugees.
Speaking a day earlier in Riyadh, Trump said he would end sanctions to “give [Syria] a chance for greatness,” and cited persistent lobbying by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as the reason for the decision.
Some Lebanese officials viewed the announcement as a possible first step toward accelerating the return of Syrian refugees. Others saw it as an opportunity to revive strategic infrastructure projects linking Lebanon to its regional surroundings — such as the transit of Iraqi oil to the Tripoli refinery and the passage of gas and electricity through Syria.
Finance Minister Yassine Jaber said the decision, “in addition to being a major factor for Syria, represents a positive signal for Lebanon,” particularly regarding “the ongoing preparations to ensure the passage of Iraqi oil to the Tripoli refinery, the establishment of a fiber optic line, the electric connection between five countries, as well as the transport of gas and electricity from Egypt and Jordan to Lebanon.”
He said contacts were ongoing with Iraqi authorities to complete the necessary procedures and works for implementing these projects, and emphasized efforts “to activate everything that serves the Lebanese economy” and to “take advantage of the lifting of the blockade against Syria to facilitate flows of transport and transit” between Lebanon and the region.
'Accelerate the return of Syrian refugees'
Foreign Minister Joe Rajji also welcomed the U.S. decision during a meeting with British Ambassador to Lebanon Hamish Cowell, according to the state-run National News Agency (NNA).
He emphasized “the expected positive impact for Lebanon and the region, particularly concerning the return of Syrian refugees to their country,” NNA reported.
In a statement, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) said the U.S. decision “widely opens the way for the return of displaced Syrians so they can participate in the reconstruction of their country.” The party called on the Lebanese government to “take all necessary measures to facilitate this return as soon as possible” and to “obtain a decision from the Arab conference in Baghdad supporting and financing this approach.”
Lebanon will be represented at Saturday’s Arab summit in Baghdad by Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Foreign Minister Rajji.
The FPM described the U.S. move as “a positive step towards the stability of Syria and the mobilization of the necessary means for its revival,” and said the resulting momentum “should have positive repercussions on its neighborhood, particularly Lebanon.”
Former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora also welcomed Trump’s decision, saying it “will concretely contribute to improving the general situation in Syria and its economy, tested by over five decades of Assad regime.” He added that it could “considerably mitigate the repercussions of the sanctions on the Lebanese economy,” noting that “Syria constitutes the only terrestrial gateway for Lebanon to the countries of the region and Europe.”
Siniora cited the potential reactivation of Arab oil pipelines, Lebanese exports to Iraq and the Gulf, and the transit of gas and electricity through Syrian territory. He also said the move should “reinforce efforts to accelerate the return of Syrian refugees living in Lebanon to Syria.”
He expressed gratitude to the Saudi crown prince “for his vision, generosity and constructive initiatives,” and highlighted “the efforts undertaken to make this progress in Syrian-American relations possible, and through them with many other countries.” This dynamic, he said, could “open wide perspectives of easing in the Arab world, from which Lebanon should benefit.”
Hamadeh: 'Learn from the past'
MP Marwan Hamadeh also welcomed the move, saying, “It is time to make fair decisions, relying on the efforts of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Crown Prince, on both regional and international levels, particularly in Lebanon and Syria after the lifting of sanctions.”
He urged Lebanese leaders to “learn from the past and support the initiatives undertaken by the President and the Prime Minister.”
Hamadeh described the summit in Riyadh as “historic,” saying it demonstrated that “Saudi Arabia affirmed its central role in political, social, and economic decision-making.” He added: “Lebanon is invited to seize this golden opportunity to regain its role as a leader and pole of prosperity in the eastern Mediterranean.”
The first official Lebanese reactions came Tuesday evening from President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
President Aoun expressed hope that “this courageous decision will be a step towards restoring stability in Syria, which will positively impact Lebanon and the entire region.”
Prime Minister Salam, meanwhile, offered his “congratulations to Syria” for what he called an “opportunity for recovery,” while thanking Saudi Arabia for “its initiative and efforts in this framework.”
